https://www.cleveland.com/tribe/2021/07/heres-how-the-cleveland-indians-landed-oscar-winner-tom-hanks-to-voice-their-historic-cleveland-guardians-name-change.html
https://outline.com/ucswWT
https://twitter.com/Indians/status/1418565355472101378
Together, we are all…
https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/1420135139347034112
One of the things I’ve always loved about basketball is the fact that it brings people together and empowers young people everywhere. I’m proud to join the team at @NBA_Africa
and look forward to seeing the change we can create across the continent.
https://twitter.com/NBA_Africa/status/1420128995971158017
Today @BarackObama joins NBA Africa as a strategic partner.
https://www.nba.com/news/former-president-barack-obama-joins-nba-africa-as-strategic-partner
>https://www.nba.com/news/former-president-barack-obama-joins-nba-africa-as-strategic-partner
Former President Barack Obama joins NBA Africa as strategic partner
President Barack Obama will help advance the league’s social responsibility efforts across the continent, including programs and partnerships that support greater gender equality and economic inclusion.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA and WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that former President Barack Obama has joined NBA Africa as a strategic partner.
President Obama will help advance the league’s social responsibility efforts across the continent, including programs and partnerships that support greater gender equality and economic inclusion. In this capacity, President Obama will have a minority equity stake in the new venture, which over time he intends to use to fund Obama Foundation youth and leadership programs across Africa.
NBA Africa conducts the league’s business in Africa, including the Basketball Africa League (BAL), which held its inaugural season in May featuring 12 of the top club teams from 12 African countries. NBA Africa is focused on expanding the NBA’s presence in priority African markets, deepening the league’s engagement with players and fans across the continent, and continuing to grow Africa’s basketball ecosystem through programs like the Jr. NBA, Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa and NBA Academy Africa. In addition, NBA Africa has launched several social responsibility initiatives aimed at raising awareness of gender-based violence, supporting girls’ education, and improving the livelihoods of African youth and families.
“The NBA has always been a great ambassador for the United States—using the game to create deeper connections around the world, and in Africa, basketball has the power to promote opportunity, wellness, equality, and empowerment across the continent,” said President Barack Obama. “By investing in communities, promoting gender equality, and cultivating the love of the game of basketball, I believe that NBA Africa can make a difference for so many of Africa’s young people. I’ve been impressed by the league’s commitment to Africa, including the leadership shown by so many African players who want to give back to their own countries and communities. That’s why I’m proud to join the team at NBA Africa and look forward to a partnership that benefits the youth of so many countries.”
“We are honored that President Obama has become a strategic partner in NBA Africa and will support our wide-ranging efforts to grow the game of basketball on the continent,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “In addition to his well-documented love for basketball, President Obama has a firm belief in Africa’s potential and the enormous growth opportunities that exist through sports. NBA Africa will benefit tremendously from his engagement.”
“We have ambitious growth plans for NBA Africa and having President Obama join our efforts is a recognition that through sport, Africa can take its rightful place on the world stage,” said NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams. “We look forward to working with President Obama and our strategic investors to use basketball as an economic growth engine across the continent and as a platform to improve the health and wellness of one of the world’s youngest and fastest-growing populations.”
Strategic investors in NBA Africa include a consortium led by Babatunde “Tunde” Folawiyo, Chairman and CEO of Yinka Folawiyo Group, and Helios Fairfax Partners Corporation (HFP), led by Co-CEO Tope Lawani. Additional investors in NBA Africa include NBA Legends Junior Bridgeman, Luol Deng (South Sudan), Grant Hill, Ian Mahinmi (France; ties to Benin), Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Joakim Noah (ties to Cameroon).
The NBA has a decades-long history in Africa and opened its African headquarters in Johannesburg in 2010. Since then, the league’s efforts on the continent have focused on increasing access to basketball and the NBA through social responsibility, grassroots and elite development, media distribution, corporate partnerships, NBA Africa Games, the launch of the BAL, and more.
The inaugural BAL season was broadcast to fans in 215 countries and territories in 15 languages. On Sunday, May 30, Zamalek (Egypt) defeated US Monastir (Tunisia) 76-63 to win the first BAL Championship. Fans can follow @NBA_Africa and @theBAL on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
>he was touching the wrong arm
https://twitter.com/wef/status/1420752145960243207
This is the fastest train in the world.
Discover more about this record-breaking machine:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/china-maglev-train-fastest-world-electro-magnetic-rail
>https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/china-maglev-train-fastest-world-electro-magnetic-rail
This new 'levitating' Chinese train will be the fastest in the world
China has unveiled a new maglev train capable of a top speed of 600 kph.
The top speed makes the train the fastest ground vehicle in the world.
The train uses electro-magnetic force, meaning it "levitates" above the track with no contact between body and rail.
At 600 kph, it would only take 2.5 hours to travel from Beijing to Shanghai, a journey of more than 1,000 km or 620 miles.
By comparison, the journey would take 3 hours by plane and 5.5 hours by high-speed rail.
China has unveiled a maglev train capable of a top speed of 600 kph, state media said.
The maximum speed would make the train, self-developed by China and manufactured in the coastal city of Qingdao, the fastest ground vehicle globally.
Using electro-magnetic force, the maglev train "levitates" above the track with no contact between body and rail.
China has been using the technology for almost two decades on a very limited scale. Shanghai has a short maglev line running from one of its airports to town.
While there are no inter-city or inter-province maglev lines yet in China that could make good use of the higher speeds, some cities including Shanghai and Chengdu have started to conduct research.
At 600 kph, it would only take 2.5 hours to travel from Beijing to Shanghai by train - a journey of more than 1,000 km (620 miles).
By comparison, the journey would take 3 hours by plane and 5.5 hours by high-speed rail.
Countries from Japan to Germany are also looking to build maglev networks, although high costs and incompatibility with current track infrastructure remain hurdles to rapid development.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/fully-immunized-wear-masks-infectious-disease-physician-vaccine/
Do you need to wear a mask if you're fully vaccinated? An expert explains
The World Health Organization is urging people to wear masks indoors again, even if they're fully vaccinated.
LA County in California has made masks in public indoor spaces mandatory, regardless of vaccination status.
One US study found the Pfizer vaccine had an effectiveness of just 34% against the delta variant, compared with 51% against the older alpha variant.
Peter Chin-Hong, a specialist in infectious diseases, considers whether it's time to return to masking up nationwide in the US.
What’s the science behind the WHO recommendation?
There is clear and mounting evidence that – though rare – breakthrough COVID-19 infections can occur, even in the fully vaccinated. This is particularly true with emerging variants of concern.
The CDC has been following these data closely. By mid-July 2021, nearly 60% of the U.S. population age 18 or older had been fully vaccinated. Infections in those who are fully vaccinated are rare, and serious outcomes from COVID-19 in that population are even rarer – though they do still occur. However, the CDC stopped tracking nonhospitalized cases of COVID-19 for people with and without symptoms among fully vaccinated individuals on May 1, 2021.
The risk of infection leading to serious illness and death, however, differs starkly between vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
Are breakthrough infections more likely with the delta variant?
Maybe. Preliminary data suggests that the rise of variants like delta may increase the chance of breakthrough infections in people who received only their first vaccine dose. For instance, one not-yet peer-reviewed study found that a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine had an effectiveness of just 34% against the delta variant, compared with 51% against the older alpha variant in terms of warding off symptomatic disease.
But the data is more reassuring for those who have been fully vaccinated. After two doses, the Pfizer vaccine still provides strong protection against the delta variant, according to real-world data from Scotland and a variety of other countries; and in preliminary studies out of Canada and England, researchers noted only a “modest” decrease in effectiveness against symptomatic disease from 93% for the alpha variant to 88% for delta.
One recent preliminary report from Israel is sobering, however. Before the delta variant became widespread, from January to April 2021, Israel reported that the Pfizer vaccine was 97% effective in preventing symptomatic disease. However, since June 6, with the delta variant circulating more widely, the Pfizer vaccine has been 64% effective in preventing symptomatic disease, according to preliminary data reported by Israel’s Ministry of Health in early July.
And in another new report that is not yet peer-reviewed, researchers compared blood serum antibodies from people vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna and J&J vaccines and found that the J&J vaccine lent much lower protection against delta, beta and other variants, compared with the mRNA-based vaccines. As a result, the researchers suggest that J&J vaccine recipients would benefit from booster immunizations, ideally with one of the mRNA vaccines. However, this is a limited laboratory study that doesn’t look at whether real people got sick, and contradicts a peer-reviewed study that found the J&J vaccine was protective against delta eight months after vaccination.
In all reports and studies, however, vaccine efficacy is still very high against the delta variant in preventing hospitalizations and severe disease – arguably the outcomes we most care about.
All of this emerging data supports the WHO recommendation that even fully vaccinated individuals continue to wear masks. Most of the world still has low vaccination rates, uses a range of vaccines with variable efficacy at preventing infection and has different burdens of circulating SARS-CoV-2 virus. In this context, it makes sense that the WHO would give a conservative recommendation to mask up for all.
Who’s actually protected by masking recommendations?
The WHO’s latest call for fully vaccinated people to continue wearing masks is primarily intended to protect the unvaccinated – which includes kids under age 12 who are not yet eligible for vaccines in the U.S. Unvaccinated people are at a substantially higher risk of getting infected with and transmitting SARS-CoV-2, and of developing complications from COVID-19.
And, again, there is still a low risk of infection for vaccinated people, but this risk differs regionally. In areas of highly circulating virus and poor vaccination rates, and with highly transmissible variants, there is a higher probability of infection in vaccinated individuals compared with people living in areas with lower levels of virus in the community.
Does the US situation warrant masking up (again)?
I suspect the CDC is unlikely to pursue a universal U.S. recommendation to wear masks at this time. With an overall high countrywide vaccination rate and a low overall COVID-19 hospitalization and death burden, the U.S. has a COVID-19 landscape very different from most of the world.
Some experts also worry that sending an official message that the vaccinated should don masks may dissuade unvaccinated individuals from seeking vaccines.
What changes would signal it’s time for the US to mask up again?
There are emotional red flags and then there are more realistic red flags that may bring about a nationwide call for masking indoors for fully vaccinated people.
Having more than 100 cases of infection per 100,000 people per week is defined as “high” community transmission, the worst category, by the CDC. Los Angeles County, for example, has already surpassed that mark, with more than 10,000 coronavirus cases per week.
A more pragmatic measure for masking is the number of hospitalizations, because it is directly related to use of health care resources. Some researchers have proposed a threshold of five COVID-19 cases – averaged over several days – hospitalized per 100,000 people, which would potentially be a more ominous signal than infection rates. Los Angeles County has also surpassed that as well.
Surges will likely be a regional phenomenon based on how many people are fully vaccinated in an area. As long as hospitalizations and deaths remain generally manageable nationally, and with hospital capacity intact, the U.S. as a whole may not need to return to masking indoors for the fully immunized.
That is funny.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/3-steps-to-accelerate-equality-creative-industries/
3 steps to accelerate equality and inclusion in the creative industries
P&G’s “Widen the Screen” is a content creation, talent development and partnership platform that enables increased representation and inclusion of Black creators.
If we all can follow 3 steps, outlined below, we can have a tremendous impact on creating a more equal and better world.
The 3 steps are: Start inside; Use your voice as a force for good, for equality; Change the system to achieve equal representation in the creative and media supply chain.
The events of 2020 and 2021 have permanently elevated the role of brands and companies as a force for good in society and a force for growth in business – particularly in diversity, equality and inclusion (DE&I).
It’s been an extraordinary time, full of conversations, pledges, activities and acts of goodwill. Typically, following a heightened flurry of activity like this, interest dies down and progress stalls. But this is not another passing moment – and it’s up to all of us to ensure this time is different.
So how do we sustain this accelerated pace within the creative industry, and make equality and inclusion a sustainable part of creativity?
By committing to choose equal and build equality in to every aspect of creativity, not bolted on as a separate activity. Choose to make equality the systemic way of bringing creativity to life.
The question here is not to be perfect, but to commit and act to drive progress. If we all can follow these three steps together, we can have a tremendous impact on creating an equal and better world.
Step 1 - Start inside
So how do we sustain this accelerated pace within the creative industry, and make equality and inclusion a sustainable part of creativity?
By committing to choose equal and build equality in to every aspect of creativity, not bolted on as a separate activity. Choose to make equality the systemic way of bringing creativity to life.
The question here is not to be perfect, but to commit and act to drive progress. If we all can follow these three steps together, we can have a tremendous impact on creating an equal and better world.
Step 2 – Use your voice as a force for good, for equality
At P&G, a pivotal moment was in 2014 with Always’ “Like a Girl” campaign, when we discovered that young women suffer a huge drop in confidence at puberty, much more than boys, because of insulting phrases such as “you do that like a girl”. Always altered the phrase “like a girl” to mean amazing things, literally transforming it from an insult to a positive statement. It had worldwide impact, becoming part of the cultural conversation about women, girls and gender equality. And it ignited growth for the brand, demonstrating that using our voice as a force for good could also lead to being a force for growth.
This success inspired other creative breakthroughs. Olay’s “Face Anything” shatters gender stereotypes and myths. SK-II’s “Change Destiny” challenges gender expectations and attitudes that hold women back. Gillette shows a new take on the “best men can be”. And when the pandemic hit, P&G issued a call to action for gender equality with “Choose Equal”.
Using our voice as a force for good has become part of how we build brand trust and company reputation. We’ve stepped up for the LGBTQ+ community to promote visibility and inclusion with documentary films and we’ve created an annual fundraising effort called “Can’t Cancel Pride” to celebrate, support and promote visibility for the LGBTQ+ community.
Our voice extends to racial equality with films like The Talk, The Look, Talk About Bias, Voices of the Movement and Two Evils, shining a light on bias and racism to spark important conversations for understanding, empathy and action – including a call to inspire the White community to step up and make the choice to be anti-racist.
Five years ago, we started intentionally building equality in to everyday advertising through a commitment to accurate portrayal. Equality is limited by bias, and the portrayals of people in advertising embed memories into our brains that form bias. Ads affect perceptions of how people see each other. So as one of the world’s largest advertisers, we have a responsibility to accurately portray all people – regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, religion, body type or age.
Step 3 – Change the system to achieve equal representation in the creative and media supply chain.
All of us are the system – and we’re responsible for the interventions needed to build and sustain an equal and inclusive creative and media supply chain. The supply chain includes marketers, agencies, production crews and media companies – everyone associated with creativity. This commitment means every link reflects equal gender representation – 50% women, 50% men – and representation of race and ethnicity equal to the population in each country. Equality and inclusion leads to greater creativity and innovation, builds access to opportunity, and achieves equity in income and wealth creation, which leads to purchasing power and growth.
Being intentional, tracking results and holding people accountable makes a difference, and it helps transform the quality of creative work.
Through the World Economic Forum’s Power of Media Taskforce on DE&I, we have partnered with other brands, publishers, sports, gaming and entertainment organizations in the media value chain to help change the system, in our content and behind the camera. The taskforce comprises of CEOs, CMOs, heads of media and diversity experts that are committed to advancing voices of underrepresented groups by improving measurement, accountability and reporting across the media industry.
The biggest gap requiring the most significant systemic intervention is with the directors and production crews behind the camera. Data is lacking, but a recent UCLA study indicated that fewer than 6% of all directors and production crews are people of colour. Some say the system is broken. It’s not – it was built that way. It was built for the majority. We need to disrupt and dismantle the system, and rebuild a new one.
That’s why P&G launched “Widen the Screen” – an expansive content creation, talent development and partnership platform that enables increased representation and inclusion of Black creators across the advertising, film and media industry. Our immediate focus is on Black creators with future expansion to Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native and Indigenous creators, as well as underrepresented creators in the LGBTQ+ and People with Disabilities communities.
The programme is founded on a call to action to “widen the screen, so we can widen our view” by portraying a full view of the joy, beauty and vastness of Black life – not reinforcing commonly held stereotypes of struggle, trauma or extreme excellence.
This film challenges the biased expectations viewers have about the stories and characters often played by Black actors – fueled by the narrow view of Black life on screen. It was created, developed, directed and produced by a team of largely Black creators in collaboration with Cartwright, Grey and P&G. It was an intentional approach, because in addition to widening the screen to widen our view, we want to widen opportunities for Black creators. And we’re airing this film, and many others, in Black owned and operated media to widen the economic impact of our efforts.
Because together, we can widen the screen to widen our view, and widen opportunities to put more value and goodness into the world.
>Jim Hanks sounds just like his brother Tom.
>If you could fight anyone in the known public sphere who would you fight?
Keep'em squirming
there's a blue balls joke in there somewhere